As the court notes, today’s decision is part of a growing chorus of lower court opinions invalidating partisan gerrymanders. At this point, only the Supreme Court still remains undecided (and that could change by June). #fairmaps 2/

The court in MI ruled for challengers on both equal protection and First Amendment grounds - though some districts were struck down only on the First Amendment grounds. #fairmaps 3/

As to what comes next, the court has given the State of Michigan until August 1 to adopt new congressional and legislative plans, which the court then will evaluate. #fairmaps 4/

If the state fails to enact a plan - and remember that while Rs control the MI legislature, the state now has a Democratic governor with veto power - or if the remedial plans are still unconstitutional, then the court has said it will draw new maps. #fairmaps 5/

To assist it in evaluating new maps and potentially drawing them, the court has said that it will appoint a special master and asked the parties to submit proposed names of special masters by July 1. #fairmaps 6/

All told, the plaintiffs were challenging 34 congressional, state house & state senate districts (originally they had challenged the maps in their entirety but narrowed their claims during the course of litigation). The court struck down all on 1st Amend grounds. #fairmaps 7/

Here’s the list of Michigan districts that have been found to be partisan gerrymanders & ordered redrawn 👇#fairmaps 8/

BTW “remanded” in the last tweet means sent back down to the district court for further proceedings. At present, the WI partisan gerrymandering case is set for trial in mid-July. #fairmaps 11/

In addition to these cases, we’re also waiting on a ruling in a partisan gerrymandering case challenging Ohio’s congressional map that was tried earlier this year. That ruling in theory could come any day now. #fairmaps 12/

Under Amendment 1 passed by Missouri voters, responsibility for drawing state house & state senate maps now belongs in the first instance to a newly created non-partisan state demographer, who has to follow new strengthened map drawing rules. #fairmaps 3/

Related threads

This is another big win against Republican gerrymandering in one of the absolute worst states for it. Republicans have won kept control of a legislative chamber despite losing the popular vote in 6 of the last 9 elections docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

Michigan Democrats likely would have taken full control of state government in 2018 without Republican gerrymandering. This court ruling striking down these unfair districts could pave the way for a Democratic legislative majority in 2020 if upheld

Michigan voters passed a state constitutional amendment at the ballot box in 2018 to ban gerrymandering by creating an independent citizens' commission, but it won't redraw the maps until 2022, which is why this ruling is a victory for #FairMaps in the upcoming 2020 elections

@kathrynburcham@boston25 "It was the object of the conspiracy to corruptly attempt to obstruct, influence, and impede
an official proceeding, to wit, an ICE federal removal proceeding, by preventing the ICE Officer
from taking custody... at NDC Courthouse on or about April 2,2018." @kathrynburcham

@kathrynburcham@boston25 .Judge Shelley Joseph was presiding over cases as recently as Tuesday, in Salem District Court.

Judge Joseph is set to be arraigned herself in federal court at 4:15 pm.

Also, federal court's reasoning that First Amendment does not protect Trump Campaign in alleged conspiracy with Wikileaks also closely tracks the reasoning of legendary First Amendment expert Floyd Abrams.

In his 13-page opinion, Superior Ct Judge G. Bryan Collins, Jr. writes, “an illegally constituted General Assembly does not represent the people of North Carolina and is therefore not empowered to pass legislation that would amend the state’s constitution.” #ncpol#ncga#breaking